Friday, October 23, 2009
Preparations for visitors and our visit to Botany Bay
I am sorting out my blog today long before the main event of the day.
But that will keep me busy.
Roger and Sue will be here for a meal a bit later and will spend the night here before setting off for their October holiday at a cottage in France.
Bill and I have been out and "killed the fatted" calf for them. Well, at least we have shopped for food. I think it was the first big shop for about 3 weeks.
I decided to go to Waitrose. I used to shop their every week and took Dad with me.
But when money is tight, perhaps Waitrose is not a place to be.
But whilst we were away I resolved that I would like to look for quality to feed ourselves with.
I popped into Waitrose at Dorking on Monday.
I am ashamed to admit that I felt good to be there - I was showing the world that I was just the sort of person who chooses to shop at Waitrose!
Today, though we went from the sublime to ....... well, Lidl!
Weather is fine today - even have doors and windows open.
Shame that we expect some rain overnight and through tomorrow.
Roger and Sue will be up and away at some very early hour and we would like to be away to the Ford car boot sale.
Maybe we will have to change plans.
And now to Botany Bay - Kent.
This is the most northerly of the bays deemed to belong within Broadstairs.
Basically it faces east.
We had to drive through a maze of streets in Margate and Cliftonville to find it - Bill must have wondered why I thought it worthwhile!
The picture explains it all.
The sun was shining the white cliffs were gleaming and the chalk stacks were magnificent.
We were lucky to have been there at low tide. At high tide there would have been no chance to walk round to the next bay - Kingsgate Bay.
There was lots of shipping - heading maybe for Tilbury.
One old man, walking his dog, told us that he had seen 39 ships from the cliffs one morning.
There were lots of caves.
There were lots of caves.
And there was an arch in the cliffs too.
As we rounded the cliffs into Kingsgate Bay we saw an imposing castle on the cliffs at the far end of the bay.
So we climbed up to explore - maybe even visit.
The best we could do was stand at the gateway and peer in.
It is now a private residence - broken up into large flats.
We met a resident at the gate, who had been out in the woods with his dog. He told us all about life there.
The castle had been built in the 1760s - so an ornamental castle really and not for defence.
Our man and his wife have a first floor flat in the wing on the left - overlooking Kingsgate Bay.
Thats a bit like their view.
We stopped for a drink at The Captain Digby and sat outside, enjoying the view
It looks like I am hanging on for dear life - but there was a mighty drop down the cliffs on the other side of that fence. I am not good with heights.
We walked back along the cliff top.
Farewell Botany Bay!
Next stop Broadstairs.
